Beyond StArtups

What makes a good idea worth pursuing, and what does it take to turn it into something that creates real-world impact? In this episode of Beyond StArtups , recorded live as part of The Idea Sprint, we’re joined by Adeel Shafi, Business Development Lead at Scottish Brain Sciences, to explore the journey from scientific research to innovation, commercialisation and entrepreneurship. Drawing on his e...

In this penultimate episode of our Innovation Week special episodes, we are joined by Abtin Aghagolian, Founder of Pikd. and University of St Andrews alumnus. With a background spanning technology, advertising and venture building, Abtin believes that technology has to serve people, not the other way around. It’s this philosophy that led him to create Pikd., a geospatial AI platform that enables b...

In this 3rd episode of our Innovation Week special episodes, we are joined by Tracey Atiken and her partner David Carboni, the Co-Founders of HairTracker. With 30 years in the hairdressing industry, Tracey knows that being a stylist is about more than creating great hair, it’s about building relationships and understanding your client’s needs. It’s this knowledge combined with David’s experience a...

In this Edentay Founder’s Community Special Episode, our speakers, Brian Baglow and Carol Clark join us at the Entrepreneurship Centre ahead of tonight’s Innovation Week event to reflect on their entrepreneurial journey. Brian Baglow has spent 30 years inside the games and interactive industries - as a writer on the original Grand Theft Auto, founder of the Scottish Games Network, and author of Sc...

After the 48 episodes that made up season 1, we are excited to announce that season 2 is launching this Innovation Week with 5 episodes that will be released every day. For the very first Episode of our brand-new season, we are joined by the St Andrews Entrepreneurship Society, a student-led community whose mission is to create a platform where students from all disciplines, from physics to busine...

In this episode of Beyond StArtups , the podcast from the Entrepreneurship Centre at the University of St Andrews, we sit down with Dina Pereira — Executive Director of the UBImedical Incubator, CEO of NeuroSoV, researcher at CEGIST at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, and Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco. Dina takes us behind the scenes of her entrepreneuri...

In this episode of Beyond StArtups , Aurelie is joined by Alex Bond, Startup Coordinator at the University of East London and Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of FreshCheck, a company making food contamination visible through software-backed colour-change tools equipped with a Hygiene Verification System. Alex takes us back to his time at Imperial College London, where the ideation phase of F...

We’re back with Carina Kohli, Founder & CEO of Humm Care, for her second appearance on Beyond Startups. Recorded live during our Inclusive Healthcare & Health-Tech Entrepreneurship fireside chat at the University of St Andrews, this episode takes us deeper into Carina’s journey as an entrepreneur and her mission to make healthcare more accessible, inclusive, and impact-driven. Carina refle...

In today's episode of Beyond StArtups, we're joined by the team behind ourAI, the winners of the Startup Factory St Andrews Regional: Pingting Bian, Florence Kemp, Oanh Vo and Shahrbano Ismail, alongside another team member who has chosen to remain anonymous. The team shares how they came together during the Startup Factory Sustainability Challenge, developed their winning idea in just a matter of...

How do you rebuild after failure? In this episode of Beyond StArtups , Sean Patton, Executive Coach at Novus Global, entrepreneur, author, and leadership expert, shares the experiences that shaped his approach to leadership and business. From launching and losing his first company to building a highly successful business and coaching executives worldwide, Sean reflects on the roles of identity, re...

In this episode of Beyond StArtups , we’re joined by João Leitão, Vice-Rector of the University of Beira Interior and Associate Professor of Economics, to discuss how the IMPACTWHEEL project is helping universities across Europe move beyond traditional academic models to create measurable societal and entrepreneurial impact. IMPACTWHEEL is a €1.34M project running from 2025–2027, bringing together...

This week on Beyond StArtups, we have our second ever Special EdenTay Roundtable episode. If you don’t yet know, the EdenTay Founders Community is a collaboration between University of Dundee's Centre for Entrepreneurship, Abertay's Bell Street Ventures, and St Andrews’ Entrepreneurship Centre. This week we are joined by James McCorkindale, a fourth-year Computing Science student at the University...

In today’s episode of Beyond StArtups, we are joined by Charlie Aitken, Director at Rum Cay Rum, which provides a premium spiced rum, inspired by the way of life his grandparents embraced after spending part of their lives in The Bahamas. Charlie shares the story behind the flavours and ethos of this brand. He delves into how he learned about the distillery process, and what led him to combine the...

In this episode of Beyond StArtups, we are joined by Dr Kate Smith, Co-Founder of ProfessorMe, the leading provider of award winning multilingual university AI Tech Products and in-person training resources in the UK. Dr Smith breaks down the high-quality multilingual branded tech products that Professors Me offers, their future goals, and the process of founding a female run business. Listen to h...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Manoj, a structural engineer and tech founder who is reimagining the backbone of our built environment through digital innovation. With a career spanning from private residential designs to complex £100M ventures in London, Manoj has seen firsthand where traditional engineering methodologies fall short. Manoj discusses his transition from navigat...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Danielle Gaffney du Plooy, a social entrepreneur, psychotherapist, and coach dedicated to human-centered leadership and inclusive employment. Danielle discusses the realities of building and scaling social enterprises—from her decade of experience founding and leading Uppertunity, a charity supporting adults with additional needs, to her recent a...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Albert Suriñach, founder of Studio Platero, a theatre production company dedicated to transmedia storytelling and artist-led creative work. Albert discusses the realities of building a company in the arts sector — from navigating non-traditional funding channels, to maintaining team morale without salaries, to collaborating across composition, ac...

In this episode, we’re joined by Sebastien Chesse, a fourth-year Management and Economics student at the University of St Andrews, who shares his experience contributing to the creation and growth of a student-led Mexican food catering concept in St Andrews. Sebastien discusses how identifying gaps in the local food scene led to the development of a catering operation focused on private dinners an...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we speak with Artur, co-founder of Vici Bio, a computational-biology startup built to make advanced protein modelling accessible to every scientist. Artur discusses how his Biochemistry degree, a research placement in Singapore, and a self-taught interest in coding led him to build Vici Bio with his co-founder. He explains why biology is entering a new era drive...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Alex Rowe, St Andrews Economics alumnus and founder of Sun & Planet, a Scottish initiative dedicated to helping early-stage tech startups become investment-ready. After graduating in 2015, Alex built a career advising hundreds of founders and supporting fundraises totalling over £60 million. He shares his path from academic curiosity about cr...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Alex Brunner, St Andrews alumnus and co-founder of Aurelia AI, an Oxford-incubated startup developing voice-driven agents that make navigating the web faster, simpler, and more inclusive. Alex shares how his first failed student venture sparked a deeper curiosity for entrepreneurship, eventually leading him to co-found Aurelia AI, a company now s...

Innovation Week Special Edition – Douglas Clement, Founder of Kingsbarns Distillery In this special episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Douglas Clement, founder of Kingsbarns Distillery in Fife. Douglas shares his remarkable journey from St Andrews golf caddie to entrepreneur, transforming a derelict farm into a world-class distillery and visitor centre. He talks about learning an entirely...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Carina Kohli, founder of HumCare, a health-tech startup dedicated to improving employee wellbeing and access to care across India. After studying at the University of St Andrews, Carina was inspired by her own health experiences to create a platform that bridges the gaps in everyday healthcare; from mental health and fertility support to chronic...

In this episode of Beyond Startups, we’re joined by Oliver Clem, St Andrews Chemistry alumnus and co-founder of Solas Healthcare, a startup pioneering patient-focused access to medicinal cannabis in the UK. Oliver reflects on his journey from graduating in 1996, to a 20-year career in pharmaceutical manufacturing, to launching a venture shaped by compassion and innovation. He shares insights into...

In this episode we are joined by Kat Pohorecka, CoFounder of Mude, an adaptive wear company that delivers functional and fashionable undergarments to people whose health and wellbeing depends on wearing medical devices. Kat shares what she has learnt in her journey from studying Product Design to becoming a founder: from the importance of customer discovery and user-centred design, to the perks an...